Some worked, some failed.
Blériot III
The Blériot III was
an early French airplane built by Louis Blériot and
Gabriel Voisin. Gabriel Voisin.
It had two large elliptical wings.
It did not fly successfully.
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Givaudan
If elliptical wings didn’t work, why
not circular wings?
The front wing was movable for control. movable for control. The rear wing was
fixed in place.
Probably never flew successfully.
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Bleriot V
Maybe if we make
it look like a bird.
Nope. Nope.
Crashed on the
second attempt to
fly.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008WV8L2I
Caproni Ca.60 Noviplano
An Italian nine-wing flying boat prototype of a Trans-Atlantic
airliner.
Big Dreams.
On the first test flight it crashed.
The wrecked airplane was salvaged….but
burned later in a fire.
Talk about bad luck.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008WV8L2I
Jerome-de
Bothezat Flying Octopus
A U.S. Army quadrotor helicopter.
Six-bladed rotors allowed the craft to fly
but it was very but it was very complex and difficult
to control.
Imagine that.
The Army canceled the program in 1924.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008WV8L2I
Miles Libellula
Named after the dragonfly, the Miles M.35 and M.39 Libellula were
designed for aircraft carriers without the need
for folding wings.
The M.35 was a fighter and the M.39 a bomber.
They used a canard wing for additional lift.
Prototypes were built but neither plane went into
production.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008WV8L2I
HafnerRotabuggy
Never seen a flying jeep?
The Hafner Rotabuggywas a British design; combine a Willys Jeep combine a Willys Jeep
and a rotor kite.
The Rotabuggyachieved a flight
speed of 70 mph but was cancelled in favor of gliders that could
carry a vehicle.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008WV8L2I
Bachem Ba 349 Natter (Viper)
A Pilot’s Dream.
Rocket powered
disposable fighter.
Bolt on solid fuel rockets
for a vertical takeoff.for a vertical takeoff.
Wooden wings - no flaps.
1. Fire unguided rockets
at enemy bombers.
2. Set the autopilot to
crash into an enemy
bomber.
3. Bail out; get a new
plane for next mission.
Curtiss-Wright XP-55
Ascender
The U.S. Army Air Corps asked for
unconventional and got the XP-55.
Advanced features included a canard
wing, rear mounted
Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender 1943The U.S. Army Air Corps asked for unconventional designs and got the XP-55 prototype.
included a canard wing, rear mounted
engine and swept back wings.
The performance was inferior to conventional
fighter aircraft.
Looked great on the drawing board.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008WV8L2I
Lockheed XFV
An experimental vertical takeoff
fighter for protecting naval
convoys. convoys.
32 test flights proved it to be slow
and hard to fly.
Cancelled in 1955.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008WV8L2I
The Wright
Brothers to the
F-22
139 pages.
200 pictures.
More odd planes.
Aviation history in
pictures.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008WV8L2I